Sports Talk
Welcome to the first edition of Studs or Duds. This is the first time I'll be trying this approach. We're going to roll through a short list of teams or players and evaluate where they stand as of this moment, rated as either a Stud or a Dud. Let's get started: 1. Los Angeles Rams Rating: DUDS The run-it-back Rams are struggling after the first half of the season. At 3-6, LA looks lost trying to regain their form from last years' Super Bowl winning group. The moment LA brought in Stafford I picked them to win it all. He was the last piece they needed to truly compete for the Lombardi Trophy. However, this team was built for one season. With aging stars and a lack of resources, LA is poorly setup for the future. Sean McVay is still the right voice going forward, but with an injured Cooper Kupp and performance stepbacks by Donald (barely), Stafford and Ramsey, this team has gone from Stud to Dud very quickly. As a bitter Bengals fan, I'm good with it. 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rating: STUDS How can a team who needed a two-game win streak just to get back to .500 be considered a Stud? Allow me to explain. The Brady Bunch settled for field goals far too often during the first 8 games of the season. In their past two victories (Rams, Seahawks) Brady looked to find his form. A healthy Bucs defense is a top 3 unit in this league and Devin White has proven it as of late. The first half was littered with dropped passes, redzone deficiencies and one of the worst run games in the history of the league. With Brady's personal issues fading into white noise, this team is starting to pick up steam and should enter the playoffs with strong vibes. 3. Brooklyn Nets Rating: DUDS Womp. The Nets are 6-9 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Yes this is the NBA. Yes it's early in the season. But these Nets have already proven the fears of many. Note: I have never been a Ben Simmons guy. I dont believe his defense alone is worth having on the court at 20+ minutes. This team lacks leadership (could've been Udoka but as a Celtics fan I'm glad that didn't go through). Between the off the court issues of Kyrie and poor team unity on the court, this team is on a track to nowhere. While I never believed in the Harden Nets, I had more faith in that bunch than this one. Can they still make the playoffs, sure. The 6-8 Warriors have issues, but they're capable of flipping the switch. I don't believe this Brooklyn team can. 4. Portland Trail Blazers Rating: STUDS Here is a small list of teams who have shown unsustainable success: Seahawks, Jazz, Kraken, Manchester United, etc. Nothing against these teams, but they are not currently setup to win today. They've overcome many odds and I applaud their efforts, I just dont think they represent a viable threat come playoff time (if they qualify) as presently constructed. Enter: Portland. These Blazers are in 1st place in the West and third overall. The return of Lillard, alongside co-pilots Grant, Simons, Nurkic, has ignited an athletic group of creators. Portland has enough talent on the court at once to compete with any lineup. The only issue would be playoff-time. Dame has not been able to overcome the odds come summertime. For now, this team is riding high and for good reason. 5. New York Giants Rating: STUDS The New York Football Giants are "back". I stand by this rating. Daniel Jones has been more of a game manager than a Stud, but that's really all this team needs at the moment. With the NFC East suddenly stacked, the Giants find themselves in the hunt for the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Each week this team has looked more and more like their record (7-2). The Giants have won in various ways and have to be taken seriously. The Eagles are legit. The Cowboys are legit enough. These Giants are not quite the Eagles, but shouldn't be listed beneath Dallas. This team is reminiscent of Eli's Giants and have the grit (and a healthy Saquon) to knockoff anyone in the NFC come playoff time. CL KID - realclkid
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